Smart Optical Materials (“SOM”) are optical materials that can control deep properties such as, for instance, intensity, phase, polarization, and/or coherence of passing lights. SOM include electro-optic materials, non-linear optical crystals, liquid crystals, electro-optic polymers, magneto-optic materials (Faraday Effect and Kerr Effect), electro/thereto-chromic materials, chemicals that induce refractive index or optical density changes, optical materials that depend on temperature and pressure, and phase-change materials. For example, liquid crystal material has different refractive indices under an electric field. In another example, non-linear optical crystal (BaTiO3) material has a dipole moment and electric field that affects domains of similar dipole moments which change the total index of refraction. Characterization of these SOM appears difficult due to the lack of standard methods and commercially available equipment that can measure the intensity, phase of photons and its related polarization. Furthermore, the characterization of the properties of some optical materials ordinarily requires many separate, stand-alone pieces of equipment that make moving samples of optical material from one station to another quite cumbersome. Such a station-to-station characterization process imposes unprotected vulnerability to samples due to the exposure to moisture, dust, and environment-enhanced aging effects.